


Avatar: The Rise of Bao

by Tranquil_Squid



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bending (Avatar), Chi Blocking, Forced Disappearances, Multi, Political Intrigue, Resistance, Unofficial Sequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:20:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27078697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tranquil_Squid/pseuds/Tranquil_Squid
Summary: After the era of Avatar Korra a bold new world takes shape. But as cultures clash and societies move forward a growing movement of those who look back too fondly at history rise to prominence, threatening all that has been gained.
Relationships: Original Character(s)/Original Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	1. Prologue

Avatar Bao crested the snow-covered hillock and looked down on the northern spirit portal. Amid the snow and rocky outcroppings grew an impossible copse of verdant trees, and above it all a piercing narrow light shot straight up from the centre, the end -- if there was one -- unseen in the inky blue and black star-filled sky. Wavering green spirit energy danced playfully in the night sky, like grand fluttering cloth on a scale too big to imagine. All around him the arctic air blew furiously, sweeping over the tundra and biting him and his comrades' flesh straight through their many layers. Despite the cold, he pulled the hood of his parka back and let his long, flowing black hair fly free at the winds' mercy. This was a special moment, he knew, and he wanted to give his followers an impressive sight as he strode forward again as if the cold did not phase him.

Behind him, his closest confidant, Raolo, stood among the shivering but disciplined honour guard. He, too, knew the significance of this moment and was glad of the piercing winds. The harsh weather obscured his unbecoming excitement, the only hint being his shivering balled fists at his side as he watched the avatar make his way along the frosted trail. He took it all in, etched this sight into his mind as thoroughly as he could. This was to be an important moment in history.

As Bao entered the copse of trees the wind's strength waned and he could more easily see the details of this deeply spiritual place. All around him he could see, hear, and feel the movement of disembodied spirits, some prowling, some fluttering, some moving from bough to bough in trees that surrounded him. They watched his approach, likely able to sense his spiritual significance, and cleared the way ahead. A wolf-like entity, the colour of distant nebula and three times his height, loped out his path as he pushed forward. He regarded it respectfully, bowing his head, and it bowed in return.

"Well met, avatar," it said without opening its maw, its voice booming through Bao's mind. "To what do we owe the honour?"

Bao came to a stop and looked up at the massive spirit, his back straight and his gloved hands tucked into his sleeves. "I have come to right a terrible wrong, good spirit," he replied, bowing again.

"Wrong?" said the spirit incredulously, its pure white eyes narrowing. "Of what wrong do you speak?"

"It will take but a moment," said Bao, already walking again.

The spirit regarded the avatar quizzically before turning its attention to the honour guard further down the path. Each was a bender, the spirit could see, and each of the four elements was represented among them. But besides being an impressive assortment of bending power the spirit could detect no significance to the group. It turned to watch Bao again, who approached the brambles that acted as the formal separation of the copse of trees and the portal's inner chamber.

Bao stepped into the dome-like structure and marvelled at the root of the portals power, a brilliant humming geyser of light and pure spirit energy. The air was light and smelled of pleasant greenery. As he took his first step into the room the sound of the outside world dimmed and the low, deep thrumming of energy filled his ears and burrowed deep into his chest. As he drew closer he could see the round form of the portal's base, the only part of the spectacle that looked corporeal, and he rid hands of his gloves as he neared, tucking them neatly into his pockets.

The wolf spirit bent low to peer into the doorway, observing quietly out in the howling wind. It watched as Bao approached the portal's root and placed his hand upon the spherical base. It sensed it then, the energies around them bending and twisting suddenly, going against its regular flow. The great spirit looked up and saw its flying kin, spirits of all shapes and sizes, hesitate as they glided through the air before being pulled back the way they'd come. The gentle hum of flowing energy became a tremble, then a rumble. When the spirit looked back inside the portal's inner chamber it saw an unmistakable line of spiritual energy as it was pulled violently back into the root.

And after a moment, the giant wolf could feel the tug itself, a pull its mighty form was not used to enduring.

"What have you done?" it bellowed, its voice rolling over the tundra and the hillsides miles away. "Avatar!"

Bao turned nonchalantly, his hand still upon the spherical base of the portal, energy whipping all around him, and smiled at the giant wolf spirit. "I am returning things to the way they were meant to be."

Rage overtook the wolf spirit, its nebulous form slowly being overtaken by red and black. "Betrayer!" it roared, knocking Raolo and the honour guard right off their feet. It pulled and struggled against the current of energies as they surged toward the root of the portal, forced back into the spirit world on the other side. "You know what what you do!"

Bao watched calmly as the mighty spirit struggled against the unearthly pull. Inch by inch it was drawn closer, and as it neared its ethereal body became distorted, narrowing to impossible proportions as it was literally pulled with such force that it could not maintain its form. It roared and clawed, thrashing its body from side to side. But the strength of the otherworldly pull only intensified with time, and soon only the tip of its tail was visible.

And then it was gone.

The towering lance of energy that seemed to go on forever suddenly had a visible end in the night sky, and that end fell fast to the earth below. Bao braced himself as it hurtled toward the root and pressed both hands to the base for the final push. As the energy fell all sense of sound itself disappeared. For a moment, Bao would hear only the ringing in his ears. Then, a brilliant wall of light and a deafening impact rocked him and every living thing for miles around. Energy surged violently in all directions then, after a brief moment, was pulled back to the root. A sound like a hurricane being pulled through a doorway rattled the minds of all around before coming to a sudden, violent end.

Bao, kneeling now, looked around the now-still room. His ears rang and his hands felt as if they were on fire but, of more immediate interest to him, was the sudden quiet. Before, the room was filled with the low hum of energy. Now he could hear the wind outside the dome-like structure. He turned and looked at the spherical base of the spirit portal and saw no light emanating from it, no twisting and whirling energies. It was dark, inert.

Closed.

As he stepped out of the dome he could already hear Raolo's calls and the cheers of his honour guard. They shouted excitedly and ran down the path to meet him. He looked up, the dancing green energies gone from the night sky with only the stars to gaze upon.

"Well done, Avatar Bao!" said Raolo, clapping his gloved hand on the taller man's shoulder. "You have started something grand today -- something incredible!"

Bao grinned as his honour guard continued to cheer, marvelling and the fantastical show of power they had just born witness to. They shook his hand in turn, bowing low to show their deepest respects, and went back to celebrating with one another. Bao and Raolo stepped toward the now-closed spirit portal and stared a long while.

"I had no doubts," congratulated Raolo. "It is my greatest honour to serve such a wise and powerful avatar."

Bao looked to his feet in time to see the last fluttering moments of a wayward fish-like spirit with tiny birds wings. It swam through the air as if wounded, became very still, then faded from sight entirely.

With that, Bao turned and began to trudge up the pathway again. "Come then," he beckoned to his friend. "It's a long journey to the southern portal."

As Avatar Bao and his entourage crested the hill back the way they came Raolo turned to take one last look at the copse of trees in the middle of the arctic tundra. Even with the portal closed they gained enough spiritual energy to thrive here, it seemed, still untouched by the harsh winds and snow. He couldn't help but be relieved that this special place would continue on as it always had. If the greenery had been lost in the closing of the portal, however, he would have accepted it as necessary. What was important was that the portal was now closed, that things were returning to the way they were.

As they should.


	2. Pala Qel'a

Ayu leaned into the harsh arctic wind as she stepped along the wide city walkway, careful to avoid other pedestrians who were too occupied with keeping warm to pay attention. The cold was like breathing tiny needles, even through the thick fabric of her blue scarf, and she could feel her eyelashes threaten to freeze together each time she blinked her dark brown eyes. She rounded a corner, finding temporary respite from the battering wind thanks to an adjacent building, and looked up. A multi-story banner of the Avatar Bao leered down on her. She bit her lip in disgust before pushing on, leaving the menacing tapestry behind.

Bao, the tyrant avatar. Ayu fumed quietly beneath her many layers as she navigated the right-angled streets of Pala Qel'a. Bao had closed the northern spirit portal just a few years ago. And just this summer he had closed the southern portal as well. Now only the spirit portal in Republic City, opened by Avatar Korra during the conflict with Kuvira, remained. The spirits had all but retreated from the mortal plane and became incredibly rare. Only the most spiritually attuned folk could ever catch glimpses of them anymore.

And even Ayu, among the most spiritually attuned of her small circle, hadn't seen or even heard a spirit in many months.

Ayu rounded another corner of the meticulously planned streets. The city of Pala Qel'a was a relatively new one, the product of cooperation between the Earth Republic and the Northern Water Tribe. Nestled on the south eastern edge of the continent, it offered easy port access to the Earth Republic and a bustling economic hub for the Water Tribe. Towering buildings at the city's centre leered down on the poorer outer districts, from which Ayu was walking now, and to all but the city's richest occupants the stark difference between the haves and have nots couldn't be more apparent. It was a city built on narrow ambition, on exploitation. And its people were suffering.

Ayu paused in her tracks as a dispute caught her attention. She observed a pair of water tribe police accosting someone. One of the police reached out and ripped the person's hood back, revealing a bald head beneath. The other officer took hold of their arm and twisted. The air acolyte, now revealed, didn't resist. She assured her compliance as she dropped to the cold ground and laid on her stomach, not fighting the officers as they pulled her hands behind her back. Pedestrians steered clear and, besides a few errant glances, wordlessly went about their business.

Avatar Bao had expressed many opinions during his rise to prominence, and among them was his belief that things needed to return to the way they were before Avatar Aang brought about the first of many great changes to the world when he built Republic City. With Avatar Korra, Harmonic Convergence had utterly changed the world and the air nomads began to roam again, offering aid to all they encountered. As a result, some nomads settled down in every nation, assimilating into local cultures and introducing their own. To most it was a blessing, but to Bao it was an abomination. Things needed to return to how they were before Avatar Aang, he'd said on every news and political channel he could, when the four nations were separate and distinct. To that end, he began deporting the air nomads from the Earth Republic. And now, with his influence in the water tribe expanding to the highest levels of government, the nomads were being expelled from the northern and southern water tribes as well. Sometimes brutally.

It had to stop.

Ayu shifted beneath her hand-me-down parka before ducking into the doorway of a plain-looking building next to a glimmering skyscraper and knocked. A short while later, the door opened and Ayu hurried inside.

"They've started," said the dour doorman. 

Ayu frowned as she began to rid herself of her many layers in the small, poorly lit musty room. It wasn't her fault but she was late but being late meant she stood out. Standing out on Hataoka's class was not a smart thing to do. And no matter what she did, Ayu couldn't help but stand out somehow. Already wearing her workout gear over her dark skin, a form-sitting tank top and loose leggings that bared her shins, she shook her shoulder length black hair, nodded to the doorman who had seemingly already put her out of mind and turned his attention to reading, and made her way into the main hallway.

A minute later, Ayu pushed her way into the largest room in the building. It was a huge, open space already bustling with activity as students exercised and struck wooden dummies. On the far side of the room the fireplace was stocked full and giving off far more heat than was needed. Students and instructors alike were glimmering with perspiration from the needlessly blazing hearth, a deliberate training tactic to induce sweat. And misery. The room stank of burning wood and exhaustion. A tall middle-aged woman with dark skin and straight black hair past her back, Hataoka, stalked the suffering students, her hands behind her back, straightening a students posture here and pushing another's feet apart there. She turned as Ayu entered and strode up to meet here. She very nearly hid her disappointment, only her furrowed brow betrayed her.

"Two circuits," Hataoka stated flatly.

"Two? But-"

" _Three_ circuits."

Ayu frowned performatively, risking further ire, but didn't protest any further as she jogged into place across the room, picking up a jump rope, ready for the routine. She looked to a nearby instructor who was watching a sand-filled timer. When the sand ran out the instructor banged a small gong and other students shifted from one workout to another as he barked aggressive encouragement. Ayu began to jump rope and stared straight ahead. Three circuits was going to be a rough way to start the day, so she focused only on the most immediate workout. A minute later, the gong rang again, and Ayu dropped the rope and moved to a mat where she began push-ups. A minute later, the gong rang again, and Ayu moved to the next workout. Then the next and the next, until she'd complete a full circuit of fifteen separate exercises.

Only to start all over again thanks to being late. And then, for getting on Hataoka's nerves, a third time.

Hataoka hovered nearby all the while. Ayu needed no instruction in how to perform a sit-up so she continued to busy herself with the others as she kept a watchful eye. She strode with a measured and confident gait, always finding the most balanced footing possible. A trained eye could spot her practised steps and have a hint of her prowess. But even a seasoned veteran would be woefully unprepared for her level of skill. In fact, Ayu had yet to see Hataoka bested by anyone. No other instructor even entertained the idea of sparring with her with the intent of winning, the result seeming a foregone conclusion. Ayu found Hataoka's position of fearful respect amusing, and though she put up an intimidating and resilient front, admired her greatly. But she never dared entertain the idea that she could ever achieve enough proficiency to be the one to give the prickly instructor a good match.

After the final gong rang Ayu collapsed to the floor, her lungs desperately trying to give her precious oxygen. Staring straight up, she didn't see Hataoka until she was already standing over her. Hataoka turned and pointed with her chin, a bead of sweat flicking off from the sudden motion.

"Strikes."

Ayu let out an exasperated gasp and audibly grumbled as she collected herself off the ground, though she was careful not to make any of her complaints coherent. She hobbled as slowly as she could get away with to a nearby wooden dummy, covered in drawings indicating chakra pools and lines of chi, and did her best to assume a readied stance. She took a few long, deep breaths, fighting the exhaustion brought on by the intense heat of the room and ignoring the stench of the flames and sweat. After a glorious but short reprieve, she snapped her arms into action. She performed a succession of three-hit attacks, her fists travelling from the dummy's thigh to its chest. One-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three, aiming for common chi passages along the body to impede them. She had to consciously remind herself to keep her hands loose until the very last moment each time, still fighting to make it muscle memory even after months of training.

Suddenly, Ayu became aware that Hataoka was standing directly at her side rather than tending to others. "Again," she barked, her eyes fixed on the dummy to evaluate the strikes. 

Ayu shot Hataoka a mean side-eye before righting herself and unleashing another flurry, this time to the other side of the dummy and starting at the chest, working her way to the dummy's upper arm to a vital point just beneath the shoulder. At least, she was quite certain that's what she'd hit.

"Good." Ayu did a double-take. Hataoka sounded genuinely pleased, and for a moment Ayu thought she'd earned some reprieve. But it was not so, and she soon found herself doing another flurry at the cruel teacher's intrusction, then another. Each time aiming for different critical points along the midsection and limbs, following the visible guidelines drawn on the dummy. The exhaustion built and her legs wobbled beneath her. She concentrated on the task at hand, striking when instructed, resting at every opportunity. On the other side of the room, another instructor, Lee, walked up to the fireplace with a fresh log.

"Is it cold in here or is it just me?", he shouted to the room, covered in sweat himself. The entire room groaned and wailed with disapproval as Lee let out a sadistic chuckle as threw the log into the hearth, the flames greedily licking at the unwelcome fuel.

"Take a break", smirked Hataoka. Ayu let out a breath of celebration before tumbling to the floor in a pile of limbs, desperately fighting the urge to throw up with reassuring thoughts of never standing up again.

"You'll spar in 10," said Hataoka as she finally turned her attention to another student.

"Is this... how I die?" Ayu whispered to the ceiling.

After a short while, Ayu forced herself up, found a proper bench, and sat. She breathed slowly, deliberately, feeding her blood much-needed oxygen as efficiently as possible. Laying down would only make it worse, she knew. Sitting up, breathing correctly, and preparing for the sparring match mentally was the best use of her time. She closed a one hand over the other and concentrated.

Ten gongs rang and Ayu stood, shaking her hands, loosening her limbs. After a moment, she hopped in place, shifting her weight from one leg to the other with each hop. She was so focused that she caught the pair of hand wraps Hataoka threw her with her face. Somewhat embarrassed, knowing everyone surely saw that, she exaggerated an appreciative expression laced with venom to her beloved instructor, who wasn't even facing her anymore. The business of wrapping her hands gave her another point of focus, though, and she went over her mental checklist as she wrapped one hand, then the other.

Light on your feet, hands up, corner them, hit and run. Ayu mouthed the words as she thought them, the mantra of a chi-blocker who faced powerful benders that could end them in a single blast of fire or ice, with a flying stone, or simply pushing them aside with a gesture with the very air she breathed. A chi-blocker had to close the distance fearlessly and without thought, letting their bodies act without hesitation. Ayu worked hard to give her muscles the memory it needed to do this. But she knew she had a long way to go, that she didn't add up to much.

She honestly didn't know why anyone bothered with her.

"Ready up," came the call. The raised ring in the centre of the training room was already occupied by the bender volunteer and their referee. The bender was using his idle time to shadow box. Flickers of flame whipped out from his hands as he snapped them out with excellent control and speed. A fire bender Ayu realized with a sigh. He lunged forward to kick his imaginary opponent, lifting his leg so high and so quickly that even the flames that danced along his limbs seemed to lag behind.   
  
Ayu made a face. Why did Hataoka get such a good fighter for her to spar? She glanced about and spotted the grumpy instructor standing near the ring, hands on her hips, waiting for the bout the begin. The heat of the room became apparent again and Ayu wiped the sweat from her brow, her hair no doubt plastered to her face in a less-than-flattering manner. She took a deep breath, shook some of her nerves out through her shoulders, and strode toward the practice ring.

The fire bender saw her approach and smiled. He moved to shake her hand as she entered the ring, which Ayu allowed awkwardly. He was taller than her, she noted immediately, and quite possibly double her weight. His biceps were surely as big as her head! He didn't even seem all that bothered by the heat, probably because of all that fire bending he does all day, Ayu reasoned with despair.

"Ayu, right?" he said pleasantly. "Heard good things, looking forward to it."

Ayu could only smile and bow deeply in response. If he thought her strange he didn't show it as he returned the bow, one hand folded over a fist, and turned to assume his position. Ayu side-eyed Hataoka again, screwing up her face in questioning surprise, nodding to the bender while his back was turned and demanding an explanation with her eyebrows. Hataoka only smiled in response.

Was Hataoka a dark spirit sent to torture her? There was no other explanation.

The referee assumed his position and looked to the fire bender, who nodded from his readied stance, and then to Ayu. She hopped in place for a moment, staring at her bare feet, before peering up and nodding as well. The referee gestured to both parties and stepped back. The match had begun.

The fire bender wasted no time. He stepped forward and thrust out an arm, unleashing a jet of concentrated flame at his opponent. Ayu strafed to the side and ducked low, executing one of the most basic evasive maneuvers she'd learned. Four steps in rapid succession, bringing her to a wide stance. She anticipated a second attack and, when it came, she was already executing the second phase of the evasion, strafing in the opposite direction but this time moving forward. Non-benders always fought on a timer; the longer the fight played out the worse it was for Ayu. A third attack came much like the first two and Ayu began to settle into a weaving motion, strafing to one side, assuming a wide stance, then strafing again. She was covering a lot of ground, already halfway across the ring, but her easy progress disturbed her. These attacks were too basic, too easy to predict. She watched the bender's feet as she came out of her latest maneuvers. Sure enough, he stepped backward and pivoted, whirling his body effortlessly into a mid-level kick. A ribbon of flame followed in his wake, arching out horizontally and directly towards her.

She was forced to choose now, duck beneath the ribbon of flame or go over it. As she weighed her options she noted that the bender had planted his kicking foot and began to pivot off it. Another sweeping attack was coming, but the angle of his hips betrayed his plan. It would not be horizontal like the first, it would come at an angle.

Ayu sprang forward, clearing the first ribbon in a forward tumble. As she rolled to a stop she sprang again without thought or any time to check if her prediction was correct. She chose the direction opposite where his kicking leg would plant. Sure enough, that was the side were the ribbon was at its highest, the other connecting the ground. Had she chosen that side, the flame would have rolled along her back as she dove. Thankfully, she had read his body correctly and now, crucially, was only a few paces away from him.

As he recovered from his second kick, the bender seemed genuinely surprised to see Ayu so close to him so soon. He was still regaining his footing as Ayu lunged forward in a sprint. Now firmly on the defensive, the bender stepped forward and thrust his fist toward his now mobile target. He noted as he let the fire fly from his firt, however, that she had already changed the angle of her attack. He struck empty floor. Feet firmly planted now, he unleashed a flurry, pumping his fists out in turn in rapid succession. Balls of hot flame burst on the floor, each time where Ayu had been only a moment before. With no clean connections, the bender panicked and threw both hands forward, palms up, before thrusting them upward. He summoned up a wall of flame before him, covering his front. Now he had to guess, left or right? He hopped back, shooting a glance to either side.

But Ayu came from above.

He only had a few options from that distance, she knew, and most of them lead to him using an attack that would take too long to come out before she could close the distance. So, she had reasoned, he would either retreat by dashing to one side or cover line of sight to buy time. Either way, she knew springing from a tumble to gain height would be advantageous for her. If he dodged, she would land behind him and have him fully on the run. If he tried to obscure her vision he likely couldn't summon flame any taller than any other bender she'd sparred with. The gamble paid off, and Ayu wasn't set alight for her troubles. He evaded by stepping to his side, ducking and whirling in place, and she landed within arms reach, their backs facing each other. He moved to lift his arm to defend only to hear the telltale sound all benders dreaded. Tok, tok, tok! Ayu's strikes moved along his arm, from forearm to shoulder, and he knew it was all but over. He tried to complete his whirling maneuvers and get his other hand up in time, intending to release a quick blast from his palm, but Ayu slapped it aside and struck the inside of his arm. Tok, tok, tok!

Both arms incapable of bending now, the bender threw himself backward and kicked in a wide arc in front of him, unleashing another horizontal ribbon of flame. Attacks of desperation like this were common, though, and Ayu had stayed low. She threw a hand out, catching the benders' kicking leg beneath the knee and standing straight up with it. His balance completely compromised, the bender landed with a smack on the ring floor. Ayu released his leg and assumed a ready position over his prone form, arm cocked back. The referee stepped in and signalled that the match was over and Ayu visibly relaxed.

As she stood and stepped away she heard the bender laugh from the floor. "Wow!" he called out. Ayu turned and saw him laying there, marvelling at his arms. "I didn't even- wow!" He turned to Hataoka and laughed. "You weren't kidding!"

Ayu made a face and slinked away, embarrassed beyond belief and wanting only to find something to hide behind. She made a beeline for the drinking water, squatting down and hiding behind her hand as she faced the wall as she slurped from one of the cups.

"Well done," came Hataoka's low voice. Ayu whirled, bumping a nearby bench carelessly, her eyes wild.

"Don't-" Ayu paused, realizing the volume of her voice before switching to a harsh whisper. "Don't go around telling people about me!" She squatted down on the floor again, pawing at her neck. "Spirits! How embarrassing!"

Hataoka, amused, waved away Ayu's energetic refusal for praise. "Stop doing so well then, child. You should be proud, you train hard."

Ayu rolled onto her side and pulled an errant towel onto her face, covering it. She mumbled and whined incoherently. Hataoka crossed her arms and chuckled as she looked down on her star pupil and wondered if she'd ever grow tired of this. Ayu was unlike anyone she'd ever trained before, with her natural prowess and work ethic matched only by her insecurity and inability to accept praise. A curious and potentially debilitating combination, she knew, and she had made it a point to help Ayu through this. And as she knelt over her prone and babbling student she sighed. Deep down, she knew this light-hearted fun could only last so long. They trained to challenge the tyrant avatar, and it was only a matter of time before Ayu and the other students had to wrestle with what that truly meant.

Hataoka would prepare them as best she could, to give them a fighting chance. And they would need all the help they could muster.


	3. The Air Nomads

Yama drew the curtain aside and peered through the largest opening he dared to make. Water tribe police were a common sight in the city of Pala Qel'a, especially on this side of the city, but for some reason he'd not spotted one for the past few hours. Their absence was more unnerving than their usual ubiquity since there were only a few explanations as to why they'd suddenly become scarce.

"Still nothing," said Yama out of the corner of his mouth, his eyes glued to the street outside.

After a moment, he tore his gaze from the window to find his mother, Fu, sitting quietly with his tiny younger sister, Kiya, in her arms. On the other side of the one-room apartment he shared with his family his older brother, Gin, was chopping some sickly-looking vegetables for lunch. His aunt Paya and uncle Wataru were laying on their cots off to one side of the room, one reading and the other napping. Cousin Lu was writing in his journal on the other side of the room, sitting atop a stack of dirty clothes on the couch. No one reacted to Yama's sullen report, though each one expected the worst.

This wasn't even his entire family, remembered sombrely. the others had to take shelter elsewhere.

Kiya was sound asleep, but Fu looked like she'd been awake for days. Maybe she had been. Yama had difficulty keeping track of any one member of his large nomadic family for any length of time even when he was locked in the same room with them for days at a time. His mother was staring straight ahead, either lost in thought or struggling to remain awake. He sighed helplessly then turned back to the window. Keeping watch was the only useful thing he could do these past few days, he felt.

"I don't like it," she said finally.

Yama could only nod silently. Crackdowns weren't uncommon but they seemed to be increasing in both frequency and severity. Just two days prior, Yama watched as water tribe police rounded up a family half a block away, with a few earth republic secret police, in their long trench coats, overseeing the whole operation. The local family who was hiding them was taken away as well. As far at Yama could tell, no one had returned and the apartment remained empty. He hadn't dared to go outside since then, not until things quieted down. But now it was far too quiet, and his instincts told him it was best to lay even lower than usual.

It was a good thing the building he and his family currently occupied was abandoned, he thought to himself. Less opportunities for things to go wrong.

He thought about those families as he stared out into the street, remembering the way they were treated as they were pulled from their home. One of them, a much older water tribe woman, was shouting and pulling at the officers as they threw a young air nomad man to the ground. He couldn't see clearly from his perch but the stark white snow-covered street made it all-too easy to see the young man's brown bald head bounce off the ground from the impact. Even in the face of uncertain calamity, the air nomads and acolytes did not resort to violent resistance. The traffic hadn't relented much and the usual sounds of a city at midday were as loud as ever. But he could hear that old woman scream as that young man went limp and had to be carried into the back of that van. And he could hear the scream suddenly go silent as the door slammed shut when they threw her in with him.

"Are you alright?"

His mother's voice snapped him back into the present. And in that moment he realized he'd balled his hands into fists so tightly that his forearms ached. He felt frantic, suddenly aware of how his body had gotten away from him. The voice of his teacher filled his mind then, as they'd practised. Breathe. He closed his eyes and sucked air into his lungs, keeping himself conscious of how it travelled in through his nose then out through his mouth. He breathed again, then again, focusing on that air. And for after a moment, he felt relief. But then his heart sank as he realized he'd done it again, he'd gotten so visibly angry his mother had begun to worry.

"Yes," he replied finally. He turned and smiled. "Thank you."

As his mother turned her attention to Kiya he silently berated himself for slipping back into that head space so naturally yet again. He was an air nomad and a trained air bender, well-read and no stranger to meditation. Yet time and time again, the same tendency toward mind-clouding anger could overtake him before he was even aware of it. In the moments of clarity that followed these bouts of rage he would realize his heart was racing, his muscles were tense, and he would feel like someone had just lifted a vision-impairing mask from his face. He could see all of his actions replay in his mind in perfect clarity, see himself shouting or throwing something, and he would instantly be repulsed. It was like someone else would take over, yet it would be him doing it all along. He'd never hurt anyone, thank the spirits, but his lack of control disturbed him to his core. Had he not been an air nomad with a spiritually-supportive family he could scarcely guess as to where he might be right now.

Probably in jail after losing his cool with some water tribe police, he reasoned. Or worse.

Yama kept his vigil as the room's usual musty scent was overtaken by the smell of his brother's humble vegetable stew. Food was becoming harder and harder to come by as more and more people retracted their offers of aid under the increasing pressure of the crackdown. His brother's stews were getting so thin that they barely nourished. But at least his spice rack had remained full, making the watery vegetables at least feel like a real meal. He was thankful for it, especially when he saw the pain in his brothers eyes after serving such a meal to his family. He cherished it, slurped proudly.

It didn't make any sense to him. Beneath their ancestral robes Yama as his family had all the same features as their water tribe neighbours; dark skin, dark hair, some of his family even had the piercing blue eyes characteristic of many old water tribe bloodlines. Only their beliefs and daily routines were different. More than once Yama had to turn down a friendly gesture because he followed the air nation tradition of vegetarianism and an oath to not harm animals. The water tribe was built on hunting, and many still hunted to this day, but air nomads and acolytes would never partake. Was it small things like this that allowed the people of the water tribe the distance they needed to listen to the tyrant avatar and turn on his people?

Yama paused as he remembered Bao. For all of his waking life Yama had learned to fear that name. Bao spoke of tradition, of returning to the way things were, when the air nation had their place in the world in the air temples. Yama had heard that even before he was born Bao had ejected any openly practice air nomad or acolyte from the Earth Republic. And now, in the past few years, things had become comparably ugly in the water tribe nations. His family had to give up their home -- just leave it -- and depend on the kindness of their neighbours as they searched for some way to survive while being hunted by police and earth republic special agents. This was where he and his parents were born. This was their home. But not according to Bao.

Worse still, Yama had never learned what happened to anyone who was caught. On telemovers, Bao claimed they were being relocated to the air temples but most of them were no longer standing. Where could they be taking all of those people? How could they have the room to house them?

As Yama was emptying the bowl into his mouth a cry from outside stole his attention. He set the bowl down and whirled to the window as he heard a loud crash, drawing it open even less than he'd done prior. The water tribe police were just across the street now, filing into the doorway of a home that Yama knew well. Another family had been offered refuge there months ago, before things had escalated, and he'd spoken to them himself numerous times. Now he watched as they were pulled out and toward the same style of van as the other family he'd seen taken away. Like before, he saw no air bending even in self-defence. They stayed true to the air nation tenant of non-violence to the very end. This time, though, Yama realized that the host family wasn't being carted away along with the poor air nomads. They were standing with the police, speaking with them and pointing to the second floor.

They had betrayed the nomads. In all likelihood, they'd been the ones to make the call. How could they do this? Did they not understand what would happen? Why take the air nomads in if they would turn against them in the end? Why were they shaking hands with the police?

"Yama!" came his cousin's voice. Yama turned and saw the worry printed on Lu's face, and became aware that Lu was firmly gripping him by the shoulders. "Yama, breathe."

He'd done it again. He became aware of his body and looked frantically about, seeing the concerned look on the face of everyone in that room. Overwhelmed with shame and embarrassment, with fear and outrage, he nodded and began to centre himself as Lu guided him along. Moisture filled his eyes but he stared ahead, filling his lungs, feeling the air rush past his nostrils then out through his clenched teeth. Lu smiled, and he could finally feel himself begin to relax.

Just in time to hear the door on the back of the van slam shut amid the cacophony of a city at midday.


	4. The Teacher

In the north the sun is heavier in the winter, pulled down by the cold to better carpet the land in stinging, icy wind. So it was not uncommon for night to have the city in its grip when Hataoka climbed the steps to her small, unremarkable home even when it was too early to think of cooking dinner. Her steps echoed out into the chill as the low temperature carried it along. Somewhere in the distance she could hear a car door close here and a pet bark there. Sound travelled further in the cold and it made the even the highly disciplined chi-blocking instructor nervous. It was like nothing could be kept secret on nights like these, like one had to soften every step and stifle every needle-filled breath if they wanted some privacy.

Afterall, Hataoka had just returned from teaching a room full of people how to fight back against an oppressive regime in the most literal way possible. Privacy was important.

It wasn't until she'd cleared the lobby, climbed the stairs, and turned the key in the her apartment door that she finally felt like she was somewhat safe again. She glanced about as she kicked off her boots, noting that the lights were all turned off, and made her way to the bedroom after hanging up her heavy coat. Still not adjusted to the dark, she had to lean in close before she could make out the form of her partner in the inky blackness. She smiled, leaned in, and kissed her on the forehead as she slept.

Tuek stirred, her eyes opening into tiny slits, and stretched her arms above her head as a broad smile widened her features. She pulled Hataoka into a gentle embrace.

"Hello there," she yawned. "How'd it go?"

Hataoka, already turning toward the kitchen, shrugged her shoulders. "Pretty good? I guess? Lots of them still need so much work." She busied herself with getting a glass of water, the effect of the harsh heat during training still lingering. "Ayu killed it today, though."

Tuek, now stepping out of the bedroom in their tiny apartment, yawned again as she made her way to the living room. "Ah, that was today."

"Yeah, she won. Handily." Hataoka drained the tall glass in a single long gulp and filled it again. "And she didn't like hearing about it."

Chuckling, Tuek flicked on the telemover and made her way to a news channel. Having been with Hataoka since they were in their 20's Tuek was knowledgable of her partner's underground gatherings and supported them fully. The pair, now in their late 30's, had many close ties to air nomads and acolytes all their lives and did not taken the tyrant avatar's rhetoric lightly. They had organized early, officially at first, before resorting to preparing for a kind of revolution. Tuek knew that they were likely a known quantity to the powers that be but, thanks to their care, had evaded any close scrutiny. Hataoka instructed martial arts both legitimately by day and rebelliously at night and Tuek oversaw their business' books and other organizational needs. It was comfortable work.

Tuek stifled another yawn as she looked at the clock. Four in the afternoon. She'd had a good long nap after seeing to some finances that morning. Working from home was truly her calling.

She looked again at Hataoka who was holding a glass of water and staring at nothing, deep in thought. She could see that her lover was troubled.

"What's wrong?"

Hataoka turned, realizing she'd been caught worrying, and tried to disarm the conversation before it started. "Nothing, I'm fine."

It was worse than she initially believed, thought Tuek.

Knowing her deflection failed, Hataoka looked into her glass. "I'm worried about the group as whole. Everyone's trying so hard but we've made so little progress." After all aboveground resistance was suppressed Hataoka had joined a small collection of thinkers who were ready to do something about Avatar Bao's influence on the Northern Water Tribe, and ultimately with the government as a whole that supported him, at first tacitly and now explicitly. The underground organization had proved more difficult than anyone had realized. Only recently had their small group made contact with resistance forces in the Earth Republic, who were much more organized and had a deeper connection larger networks of resistance fighters who were much further along than Hataoka's small group. The building they were using to train was only set up three months prior and it took until now to fill it halfway. Networking with other resistance groups was still in its early stages, thanks in no small part to the great distance between settlements of any kind in the Northern Water Tribe. So much so that her local chapter felt isolated, alone. Vulnerable.

Tuek looked at her distraught partner with concern. She wasn't privvy to everything that Hataoka was about the resistance but she knew enough to share her worries. During the brief silence, the telemover trumpeted the uptick in arrests of air vagrants, their word for the noble nomads and acolytes, and promised better things ahead once the messy business of ejecting them from the city was complete. Bao was raising the temperature in a political climate that was already complicit to these deportations. Tuek has seen as much out her very own window.

"Ayu's coming along, though."

With a blink, Tuek turned to regard her partner again and found that her face had softened. Hataoka had spoken of this Ayu many times prior, had marvelled at the young woman's ability to learn the complex art of chi-blocking. She was a fast learner, frighteningly so, Hataoka had said. 

"Oh?" asked Tuek, prodding for more details.

"We had her spar with a fire bender today, and not a novice one either. She blew him out of the water in seconds." Hataoka took a sip from her water, still looking at nothing in particular. "It was something."

"Probably makes you feel pretty good as her instructor," Tuek added. "How is she with meetings?"

Hataoka frowned again. Since their chapter was so small all decisions were made democractially, with all members meeting to discuss pertinent events. In all meetings she'd been apart of Ayu had been entirely silent, offering only a hand when it came time to vote on a course or action. Hataoka had sensed an innate intelligence in Ayu but hadn't coaxed it out enough to convince her to take more active part in these meetings. Was she scared? Or, as she remembered Ayu's response to her compliment that night, just incredibly awkward?

"She's... reserved," offered Hataoka with shrug. "We're working on it."

Tuek nodded and took a turn to be worried. Hataoka's participation put both of them in danger, and it wasn't encouraging to hear that things were moving so slowly while Earth Republic special police openly walked the street of Pala Qel'a as they sought out the air nomads and acolytes. Sympathizers were being harassed and outted to authorities as well. If Hataoka's chapter was discovered, what would happen? How could they adapt? They had a plan for themselves, of course. But what of the others?

Hataoka sensed her partner's uneasiness, set her glass down, and sat beside her. She pushed her hand along Tuek's back and leaned down into her view.

"We'll be alright," she said softly. "Even if we're discovered, we'll be alright."

She touched her lover's face and pulled her into a tight embrace. And as Tuek squeezed her in reply Hataoka quietly reminded herself what was at stake in her fight to help the air nation and free her city.

She wouldn't let anything come between her and Tuek, not anything.


	5. Avatar Legacies

Avatar Bao strode confidently through the towering halls of his headquarters in Omashu. Once the home of a wealthy noble family, all of Bao's ambitions were now planned and executed in within its walls. Eager officers, ambassadors, and lowly scribes dashed this way and that as strategies were formed and orders were relayed. Bao had already given his directives that morning and spent the rest of his waking moments in deep meditation. He didn't like to show it, but when he wasn't actively delegating or planning his next move Bao's mind was otherwise thoroughly occupied. And disturbed.

As Bao walked the bustling halls he scrutinized the enormous paintings that adorned them. At great expense in both time and resources, Bao had the building's walls covered in paintings of all the previous avatars, save for two. Each portrait represented a golden age of their respective times, times when the world was at it should be. The nations intact, their borders clear, the people where they were meant to be. Avatar Kuruk, Avatar Kiyoshi, Avatar Yangchen; all great leaders who upheld balance, who kept the nations pure and acted as the bridge between humans and the spirit world. Great men and women throughout history who did not meddle with the natural order and reaped the benefits of that purity.

There were no portraits of Avatar Aang or Avatar Korra in these halls. And there never would be.

Aang had begun a time of great change that laid the foundation for the ruin that Korra would later crystallize for future generations. Nations mixing, borders blurred, humans and spirits interacting freely, and the once immaculate purity of the great bending countries slowly deteriorated. It could be argued, Bao had admitted previously, that Roku was the beginning of the end, as the Fire Nation had undergone a ravenous campaign of invasion and colonization that teetered the delicate balance in its favour. To his credit, though, Roku had been deceived so Bao had judged him innocent. Truly, he was guilty only of neglect when he did not realize the ambitions of Fire Lord Sozin and died before he could intervene. He had no direct hand in throwing the world into the chaos that was the Hundred Year War and thus Bao was gracious enough to forgive him, to grant him his place in historic greatness. He hadn't erred on the level of Aang or Korra.

The mere thought of those two fouled Bao's mood. His hands balled into fists as he made his way through the grand halls and he was reminded of all the work he must do to undo the damage they had done. Korra's rule started out promisingly enough, defeating the deceiver Amon and his Equalist movement, but went on to do unthinkable damage. The disaster of Harmonic Convergence brought spirits to the mortal world, and soon people could travel to the spirit realm the same way they'd travel to Omashu for a holiday. Unbelievable. Bao had stemmed the flow of impurity by closing the northern and southern portals but one portal still remained.

Today Bao could finally put the last few pieces into place to undo all that damage. He furrowed his brow, raised his chin with pride, and looked straight ahead as he stalked the halls. And all who found themselves in his path hurried out of his way, many often bowing before scurrying off to complete their task.

After a time, he turned and entered a grand room filled with his supporters. A mix of robed ministers, monied upperclassmen, and uniformed military top brass. Members of his special guard joined him as he entered, flanking him as he passed through the entryway. His confidants and advisors took their places behind him and the crowd parted before him. It was an overly preformative parade of power but Bao realized long ago that a show of force was effective, especially on a crowd as risk-averse as this one. Nobles and capitalists were easy to spook, he'd found, and reassuring them with a show of strength did much to ease their little minds. Their priority was their own prosperity and he could assure them of that easily enough, so long as they showed their support, of course. His supporters, true believers who shared his vision for a return to the cherished past, bowed as he strode by. He climbed the few steps that elevated him above the room and sat, his guards moving behind him and his most trusted advisors standing a few steps below. As he settled into his throne (how he hated calling it that) he looked up and saw bird-like spirits circling high above. With a disgusted frown, he turned his attention to the crowd again in time to watch the approach of the man he wanted to hear from most at this hour.

"Avatar Bao," said Raolo, his most trusted advisor and good friend, bowing low. "Republic City is now expecting your arrival."

Bao couldn't help but smile. He had intended to visit the city whether they would accept him or not. But being officially welcomed would make things easier. "We will be leaving presently, old friend. See to it that we are well-received."

With another curt bow, the Raolo turned and hurried out of the room, eager to push things into motion.

Finally, things were beginning to move again. After assuming power of the New Earth Republic and convincing the chiefs of the Northern and Southern Water Tribes to join his cause, Bao was becoming frustrated with the lack of forward momentum as of late. Dissidents were getting bolder by the day and, frustratingly, seemed to be increasing in number. They rallied behind something, he knew, though he was never able to discern what it could be. Perhaps it was his closing of the spirit portals in the north and south pole, perhaps it was when he began to cleanse the nations of the air nomads, or perhaps it was when he assumed power of the New Earth Republic and began re-installing royals back into power to help govern far-away provinces. Bao had even re-installed Omashu's royal family, who governed the city while he worked on his grand plan. Likely, it was some mixture of these. But when he thought about it, it didn't really matter. His work was for a prosperous future, to ensure that the world could return to a time of true balance. That some who've grown complacent would fight him to prevent that glorious return only made sense. Many stood to lose a great deal if he could see his vision through, he had realized that many years before. But the tenacity of resistance fighters, to the point where they were still active in the mighty city of Omashu and even the nation's capital, Ba Sing Sae, continually surprised and angered him. And that was only accounting for troubles in his own territories. He had yet to deal with the stubborn peoples of the Fire Nation.

Why wouldn't they allow themselves to be saved?

Soon, it wouldn't matter. He looked up again to those fluttering spirits high above the room with renewed determination. There was only one portal left, and he was about to ensure that it wasn't open for much longer. Republic City was about to undergo yet another age of great change, whether it wanted to or not.

His mirth gave way to dread, however, as he realized the journey would take a day or more. And in that time he would be visited again by the bane of his waking thoughts, the haunter of his dreams, the one constant in his life he knew he could never rid himself of. And now that he was on his way to undo one of her greatest accomplishments he knew he would be visited this night.

Avatar Korra would have words with him, there was no doubt in his mind about that.


	6. The Coming Change

When morning came the sun was slow to rise and only peeked out from the nearby Gauloo Mountains long after most denizens of the city were deep into their daily routines. Shop keeps had long since opened, children were already longing for morning recess, and the streets were bustling with traffic as sunlight finally kissed their windshields. It wasn't until then, when morning was well underway, that Ayu emerged from her tiny apartment. Clad in her customary grey layers and a black toque, carrying a large covered bowl in her gloved hands, the young pugilist hurried along, already late.

She groaned as she moved, her muscles crying out in pain and her limbs feeling twice as heavy as usual. Hataoka had truly put her through her paces in training the night before, and Ayu was still surprised she'd come out of the sparring match without throwing herself into a column of flame. She'd thought about the bout endlessly throughout the night, playing and replaying tiny aspects and scrutinizing her performance in her mind's eye. She been fortunate enough to win but, when she considered all of the risks she'd taken as the match progressed, she began to second-guess her instincts. A single mistake could have put that poor fire bender through a traumatic event, charring or possibly killing a spry young woman right before his eyes. It could have been awful for him.

Ayu bunched herself up tightly into her jacket. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, a welcome sight in any part of the world that wasn't the north. But in the cold tundra clouds kept the heat from escaping into the sky, and their absence let it escape, leaving only bitter cold behind. A clear day was picturesque right up until one stepped outside and their lungs filled with needles and their breath created fog so thick one couldn't see through it. Like many citizens of the water tribe, Ayu preferred overcast. Direct sun was rarely welcome.

She kept her gaze low, both to obscure her face and avoid having to look at the multi-story banners of the tyrant avatar scattered throughout the city's centre. It was unfortunate that she had to pass through it but her home was on the opposite side of their meeting place. It made for a long trek, though as she considered the soreness in her legs she supposed it added to her training at least.

In time, she came to the right place. Unlike the makeshift training facility two blocks away, this was a more conventional meeting place. She stepped through a glass door and nodded to the woman posted there, who smiled and tilted her head to the side to indicate that others had arrived and were waiting. As Ayu began the awkward business of shedding her layers while holding her bowl the woman stepped forward, her hands outstretched.

"Let me hold that for you," she said softly. Her deep, dark eyes were welcoming and friendly. Ayu blinked and nodded, handing the bowl over before quickly ridding herself of her cold jacket. She smiled as she reached for the bowl, offering a curt nod, then hurried toward the hall. The woman continued to smile warmly and even offered a wave as Ayu rounded the corner. She waved back, nearly dropping the bowl in the process, recovering clumsily, then disappearing down the hall.

Ayu silently berated herself as her shoes squeaked down the silent hallway. She couldn't think of a way to make that exchange more awkward. And she still didn't know what her name was! Ayu suspected she knew the young woman's intentions from the longing stares she sometimes caught coming her way. She wished she knew what she should do about it, how to handle it cleanly so no one was hurt.

Lost in her contemplations, she suddenly became aware of voices as she neared the door. As she pushed her way in she found that most had indeed already arrived. In a small office room, around a rectangular desk, sat several of the senior members of the resistance cell, each with a bowl or dish of their own sitting in front of them. Hataoka was among them, Ayu was quick to note as she searched for an open seat. She choose the one next to an older man, Gyu, who somehow found a tank top suitable attire at this time of year, and set her bowl down before pulling out the chair. A giant of a man, Gyu was playing with his scraggly grey beard as she settled down and smiled broadly when he recognized her.

"Morning!" said the earth bender much too loudly, his usual tone, beaming his impossibly white teeth.

"G-Good morning," Ayu offered in return.

"Heard about your match last night. Well done!" He slapped Ayu on the back and laughed. Ayu, who expected the overly friendly gesture but could still never quite ready herself for the impact of his friendliness, waved away the compliment. "I was very lucky," she said stiffly.

"Heard it was only a few moves, too. You really whooped 'em, huh?"

Ayu could only quietly laugh in response as she bent forward and buried her face into her crossed arms, groaning with embarrassment. Gyu watched with great amusement and shot Hataoka a mischievous grin. Hataoka caught the look as she spoke with someone else and rolled her eyes, though she couldn't hide a small smile. He patted Ayu on the back, gentler this time, and spoke in a warmer tone. "Seriously, though. You work hard. You've nothing to be ashamed of."

Ayu peered at the big man from the shelter of her crossed arms, offering only a tiny nod. She wished she had the confidence of an earth bender, people who by necessity had to learn how to stand their ground to hone their skills. Why did anyone bother with her, she wondered?

Others entered the room, and soon all who were expected to attend were present. When everyone was seated, all eyes turned to a small elderly water tribe woman, Rhea, who scrutinized a small pile of freshly-written documents before her. Though there was no leader of the resistance per se, as it operated under a kind of democratic system with no formal hierarchy, water tribe elders were held in high esteem and seen as spiritual leaders. The tiny woman was also the most organized, able to whip up notes on the spot with important details from their last meeting without any need to store documentation. Paper trails were not ideal, to say the least, and she could recall a startling amount of details each time they met.

"We've much to discuss," she began, still skimming her notes. Her voice floated through the roam in a low, rumbling thrum. "I hope everyone has brought their fair share for our," she gestured to table generally, "potluck".

The room bubbled with stifled laughter as everyone patted or presented their dishes. Meetings for an underground resistance were tricky things to organize, so the group had to come up with convincing excuses for which to meet. This was the third time they'd used this pretense and, because potlucks were commonplace in water tribe culture, no one thought to question it. They could even rent office space, as they'd done today, which allowed them to meet in plain sight. It was a crafty ploy, the only weakness being no one dared bring children, who were staple at such gatherings, and their absence could draw a suspicious eye.

Much of the day's discussion was centred around logistics. Acquiring and distributing materials for organization and training was no easy task and required the coordination of dozens of individuals, each one a potential weak link in the supply chain. Not only that, information that was not connected to the state, was not earth republic propaganda, or outright misinformation was difficult to come by. Thankfully, the chapter was able to make connections with a resistance cell in the earth republic. And it was through this cell that some vital information became available.

It was during this portion of the meeting that Gyu raised his hand and offered some advice born from his time in the earth republic resistance. "A tunnel system," he said plainly. "We dig tunnels to connect our important safe houses and use them to escape if we're ever discovered."

The room murmured its general approval. Such strategies had a long history in the former earth kingdom's long history, with earth benders able to easily create elaborate systems in a matter of days, complete with dead ends and even booby traps. It was a promising idea to those in attendance and offered a solution to many problems at once.

Hataoka, sitting with her arms crossed before her, ignored the chattering around her and looked at her prized student. Ayu was shifting uncomfortably, looking as if she had something to add but couldn't find the courage to speak up. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. "What is it Ayu?"

Hataoka didn't often speak up during these meetings so her interest drew the interest of the room in general. The room quieted and all eyes turned to Ayu who, as Hataoka noted with a smirk, positively melted under their scrutiny, complete with sinking deeply into her chair. The room was patient with her, though, all in attendance knowing Ayu's predisposition to public speaking. Gyu busied himself by sampling someone else's potluck dish with his fingers to their disgust.

"Uh-Uhm," Ayu stammered. She looked at Gyu, who was going for seconds before his hand was slapped away. "The tunnels... won't work. Not like that."

Gyu paused as he popped his finger from his mouth and looked at Ayu quizzically. "Why not?"

Ayu shifted again, not sure what to do with her hands. "Bao has sent earth republic special police," she began softly.

"...and?"

"Many of them have seismic sense," Ayu said softly. She retreated as far back into the chair as possible, fully expecting to be chastised for countering a plan that the room seemed so keen on adopting.

Gyu thought for a moment, looked about, then slammed his fist onto the table, startling everyone, especially poor Ayu. "You're right!" he shouted. Seismic sense, the ability some earth benders possessed that allowed them to sense the area around them, through walls or even the ground itself, had become more commonplace as of late, especially among the special police. He turned to Rhea, who was looking on thoughtfully. "The tunnels would stand out," he explained. "The more we dig, the more they'd stand out to any of the special police as they simply walked around the city. In the earth republic, most cities have elaborate underground passages. This one doesn't, and a labyrinth popping up would be too obvious."

Ayu was nodding along as Gyu outlined her exact reasoning for speaking up. She visibly relaxed.

Gyu went on, "anything that deviates from the city's underground sewer system will look really suspicious. Some of them may even be familiar with the sewers already and know to look exactly for this kind of thing." Gyu turned to Ayu, an uncharacteristically stoic look of appreciation on his face. "Good point, Ayu."

Heads nodded their agreement and, once again, the room turned their attention to Ayu to voice their thanks for catching such a potentially disastrous hole in their plan. Ayu could only put her hands defensively in front of her and brush off the thanks as best she could. Someone else would have thought of it, surely, she thought to herself.

Hataoka just shook her head, always surprised at how far Ayu would go to deflect a compliment.

Before long, Gyu brought up ideas to modify the tunnel plan by making only small additions to the sewer system that would likely go undetected. Connecting two rooms here, creating a service-looking tunnel there, all designed to disguise their routes as already part of the city's infrastructure. At this, Ayu stayed quiet, happy to have the attention elsewhere, though she made sure to shoot Hataoka a glare that elicited only a hearty chuckle from the seasoned fighter. 

After the business with the tunnels, Rhea drew her gnarled fingers along a line in one of her notes. "There is also the matter of Bao visiting Republic City," she said at length.

An eerie quiet blanketed the room for many moments, sucking any easiness or mirth out of the air. The implication was clear. Bao had already closed both the northern and southern portals, doing horrible damage to their very own city, and that left only portal remaining in all the world sitting in centre of Republic City. If he was heading there now he would surely at least attempt to close it.

"Would they just... let him close it?" asked one in attendance, saying aloud what everyone was thinking.

"I don't think so," replied Rhea flatly. "Bao can bend the earth republic to his will and has great sway with the water tribes but he has no real power in the independent city."

Ayu nodded along with the logic. Republic City was the product of Avatar Aang's ambition and was brought into a new era under Avatar Korra. The city was almost as hostile to Bao's blatant power grabs as the Fire Nation, who had so far resisted all of the tyrant avatar's political advances. The problem for Republic City, of course, was its close proximity to the earth republic. Bao had respected the city's sovereignty as he worked to "right" the world thus far. But now that two of the three portals were closed it seemed likely to Ayu that the respectful relations would soon be strained, if they weren't already.

"Whether it's official business or not, he will almost certainly try to close it," said Rhea. She looked about the room. "That means his attention is focused elsewhere. A good time for us to dig in, prepare."

The room reacted with a mix of positivity over the possibility of less scrutiny over their group and a sense of doom if Bao was successful. Few were alive who could remember what the world was like before the portals were opened, a world devoid of spirits and wayward energies. The effect at the poles was stark, with many losing friends as spirits lost the ability to stay corporeal. Any wandering spirits that still moved through the Pala Qel'a were tiny, most did not speak. The green lights in the night's sky had disappeared the night Bao closed the northern portal, their unearthly dance now only a memory to the people of the water tribe.

Hataoka once again looked at Ayu, curious if her favoured student had any thoughts on this dire matter as well. She wasn't surprised to see Ayu staring at the table, deep in thought. Bao's sudden move to visit Republic City would likely change everything in one way or another, and if their little cell of resistance was to continue on they would need to anticipate that change and adapt accordingly. Hataoka had little to offer on subjects like this, her specialty was aimed towards more immediate matters like defence. But she knew after working with the talented young fighter that Ayu had a mind for things like this, had an eye for details. She watched Ayu agonize over the news as the room moved into a more informal atmosphere and the food began to be shared. And she kept an eye on Ayu throughout the afternoon.

Right up until the meeting was adjourned Ayu had stared at the table, the wheels in her head turning endlessly. If Bao was successful, would all spirits simply disappear? What other phenomena would just vanish? How could Republic City, built among the boughs of a spirit forest, hope to recover? And what did this mean for the air nomads and acolytes? Would their expulsion from the world's cities worsen?

Ayu stared at her food but didn't take a single bite.


	7. The Night

Weeks passed, though the cold did not relent. Thankfully, though, it was so cold that no fresh snow could fall without a storm to force the issue. The snow that blanketed the city, well over foot deep anywhere it could not be quickly cleared, had frozen like fine sand. And it was in this snow that Yama did his best to quiet his steps as much as he could while he hastily made his way across the darkened yard in the midnight air. The top layer of snow was like brittle glass, shattering with every step. The cold night air carried every tiny sound he made across the entire block, it seemed, but he couldn't afford to linger out in the open. He picked his way through the knee deep snow, trying to step in his old tracks, and avoided the random clutter strewn about the yard. Old cars, piles of trash, and other refuse made the trek through the snow a little more perilous but also offered a little cover, cover he believed he needed against the prying eyes of his neighbours.

When he finally made it to the back porch he gingerly made his way up the steps and lightly tapped the glass on the door. The curtain was pushed aside, Gin's face popped into view, then the door opened. Yama greeted his brother with a quick embrace before stepping in, Gin peering out the way he'd come to ensure the coast was clear.

"All good then?" asked Gin, looking Yama over to ensure he was in one piece. When Yama didn't answer Gin frowned. "Something happen?". He noted then, to his dismay, that Yama was travelling light.

Yama was busily removing his layers, which doubled as a disguise to hide his air nomad robes, as his brother pressed. As he hung up his jacket he pushed through to the hall, sighing with frustration. Gin took another look passed the curtain before following.

Fu, Yama's mother, looked up from the floor as Yama entered the living room. She sat with Kiya, scrutinizing a storybook, as Yama came to a stop next to her. He didn't make eye contact, just stared ahead.

"They wouldn't sell," he said quietly.

"What?" asked his mother and Gin in unison. The rest of Yama's family stopped what they were doing and turned to regard the young air bender as well.

"They wouldn't sell!" Yama repeated, moisture gathering in his eyes. "They won't take our money. They won't help us anymore."

Silence fell on all in the room except for young Kiya, who continued to happily play with the pages of her storybook. Gin stepped up and put a reassuring hand on his brother's shoulder. Yama tensed, his shoulders raised and his hands balled into fists. Gin and Fu exchanged concerned glances.

"If they won't take our money then..." Uncle Wataru began, letting the thought carry through the room. Everyone understood the implications. Without the ability to buy or trade they would swiftly run low on food and other essentials. Fu and aunt Piya looked at Kiya as she played with her book.

"Why would they stop?" asked Gin. "Our money is as good as anyone's."

"It must be getting worse," reasoned Fu. "Much worse."

Yama's silence confirmed his mother's suspicion. They had been incredibly fortunate to remain in the city as long as they had up to this point while having to deal only with the odd knock on the door from solicitors and the like. The owners of the home had allowed the family to stay so long as they kept their presence a secret while they were out of the country, freeing them of the immediate concern of being turned in by their hosts. Keeping their occupancy from being noticed was a challenge, especially at night when their use of light was limited, but it was better than having nowhere to stay at all.

But it seemed that their luck had begun to run out.

As the family processed their situation they heard a sound that sent a wave a fear through the entire room, a knock at the back door that Yama had just used. Wide-eyed, Yama and Gin looked at one another. The knock came again, and Yama realized it was subdued, as if trying to hide the noise. In unison, the brothers moved to the door, their faces set in determined glares.

Gin peered out the nearby window, careful to conceal himself, as Yama took up position before the door proper. The young air bender assumed a solid stance, his right fist cocked backward, ready to loose a gust of wind. He looked to Gin, who was still leaning awkwardly to get a better view of the porch. With only moonlight to work with, Gin strained his sight to make out anything recognizable.

Another knock made them both jump in place, and this time as Gin looked on someone stepped backward as they looked the door up and down. It was only one person, as far as Gin could see, and they were not obviously armed. Gin signalled the number he saw to his brother then made his way to the door. He risked a peek out the same window in the door he'd used to look at Yama minutes earlier, confirmed a single person outside, and motioned to his brother to be at the ready. Yama nodded and stood very still, his body coiled like a spring.

Gin opened the door enough to see outside and found a face already trying to peer in.

"Hi," they said in an incredibly calm voice, so calm that it caught Gin off-guard. In the moment it took for Gin to collect himself, the low velvetty voice spoke again in an almost cheery tone. "I've come to help."

Gin looked back at Yama who could only reply with an anxiety-filled blink. By then, aunt Piya had made her way to the same hall and taken up position. She, too, was an air bender. Spurred on by the support he had at his back, Gin finally dared to speak to the visitor.

"Who are you?"

"A friend," came the easy reply. They gestured vaguely behind them. "Representing a lot of other friends."

"What do you want?"

"To help you leave. Your shop's clammed up, yeah?"

Gin looked back and saw Yama's shoulder slump. He had clearly been followed and failed to realize it. A sharp elbow from his aunt helped him feel the appropriate amount of regret.

"We've got new ways to move around," the person outside continued. "Much safer." They chuckled heartily. "Smelly, though."

"What do you know of us?" Gin dared to ask.

"You're air nomads," said the visitor plainly. "Not sure how you've not been caught yet in this neighbourhood but it's nice that you haven't. We've been trying out where exactly you lived. Took a few days."

Gin looked back at his brother and aunt again, a look of terror on his face. Whoever this was, they'd discovered enough to utterly compromise the family if they wanted to. Yet here they were, meeting in the cover of night, whispering at a back door. If they wanted to turn the family in they certainly could have.

Yama looked at his aunt, then back to Gin. "Let them in," he said evenly. Aunt Piya hurried to the living room to inform and prepare the rest of the family as Gin opened the door, revealing the visitor to Yama for the first time.

Whoever they were, they were of average height and wore unremarkable black winter wear. Besides the fact that they hid their face completely with a toque and balaclava, the only noteworthy feature was a large grey backpack. As Gin opened the door they stepped in and pushed their balaclava down, revealing a soft-featured face. They were young, Yama guessed, and judging by the dark skin and low throaty voice, a local.

"Ah, thanks," they said genuinely, stepping in carefully so as not to track too much fine grain snow with them. "Name's Qi, by the way." Qi peeled off their toque and let a surprising amount of black hair tumble out.

"Make yourself at home," said Gin sarcastically. He was quite surprised when Qi handed him their jacket.

"Thanks." If Qi understood the sarcasm they didn't show it.

Uncle Wataru and cousin Lu stood in the living room, tense and suspicious. Fu stood with Kiya in the far corner, eyeing the visitor cautiously. Qi, apparently unaware of the tension in the room, swung their heavy pack in front of them as they sat cross-legged on the floor and dug through its contents. After a moment, Qi produced a folder and slapped it triumphantly on the floor.

"This is us," said Qi, tapping the folder with their finger. "We resist, we try to help nomads and acolytes." Qi opened the folder and distributed a sheet to Yama and Gin, then motioned for them to hand out more to the rest of the family. "We don't have a name, really," Qi added with shrug.

Yama scrutinized the paper. It outlined the group's belief system, that Avatar Bao was a tyrant, that his rule over the Earth Republic was illegitimate, that his influence in the Water Tribe was unwelcome, and that he was committing crimes against humanity in his pursuit to expel air nomads and acolytes. The text boasted training and support and, curiously, featured a crude drawing of a water tribe caricature holding hands with an air nomad atop a sky bison. It was... childlike, and somewhat endearing.

Qi held up the paper and stabbed the drawing with their finger. "I drew that!" they declared happily, eliciting a chuckle from cousin Lu.

"How did you know about us?" asked Gin, still looking over the paper.

"Heard about you first but couldn't confirm it for a long while. But tonight I saw you," Qi pointed at Yama, "and followed you back. We hang out down by those shops trying to find you lot so we can try to help."

Yama frowned. He's thought himself so careful.

"Everyone's clamming up," Qi explained as they began to gather up the papers again. "Earth cops are turning up the heat, going after folks they'd left alone until now. Friends are turning in friends. It's ugly out there."

The room nodded along and Qi could see that this was already well-known among the family.

"So we're working harder to find you lot and get you out, fast as we can."

Gin perked up. "You can get us out of the city?"

"Yep."

"When?" Gin asked excitedly. " _How?_ "

"Couple days," replied Qi. "Though, we want you out sooner than that, if you can swing it. As for how, I can't say until we go."

Gin looked about the room and saw hopeful faces for the first time in months. He looked to Fu in particular, who had the greatest responsibilities in the form of young Kiya and whose word carried the most weight.

"We can be ready tomorrow," Fu was quick to say, to the relief of her family.

"Nice," said Qi with a bobbing nod, grinning wide. "We'll be ready for ya, probably around this time tomorrow." Qi stood and scooped up their heavy pack, heading for the door. "You're gonna want, uh, masks or something." Qi nodded knowingly to Gin. "Smells bad where we're going."

A few minutes later, Qi was out the back door and moving through the yard into the inky blackness of the night. Yama and Gin watched from the window.

"I can't believe I was followed," said Yama after some time, looking despondently at the floor. "If it was anyone else then-"

"But it wasn't," Gin was quick to finish. Gin slapped his hands on his little brother's shoulders and leaned down to look at him straight in the face, though Yama kept looking at the floor. "You'd managed getting us supplies for months before this, you did good."

Yama tensed, a familiar tension pressing down on his brow. "I could have gotten us caught."

Gin sighed, knowing that his words weren't quite getting through while his brother was in this state. He looked down and saw Yama's hands balled into fists again, shaking at his sides. In that moment, the larger brother pulled Yama into a tight embrace, so tight that he could not ignore it. Yama exhaled with frustration, moisture welling up in his eyes, and Gin squeezed him tighter. Yama went on to verbalize his fears and his self-disgust and Gin stoically batted away every hurtful thing Yama said about himself. A short while later, the dark mood passed and Yama returned the embrace. His tears now those of relief.

"Thank you," said Yama sincerely. He didn't know what he would do without his brother to help guide him through all of this. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," said Gin, squeezing playfully now. "We got it out."

Yama looked again out the window to the backyard, to the terrifying unknown that would swallow him and his family up the following day. For the first time in a long, long while, he and his family had hope again. And though it pained him to leave the city he was born in because of a short-sighted tyrant, he found himself getting as excited as he was fearful for the coming journey. If Qi was truly part of a larger movement to help him and his people Yama couldn't begin to form the words he would need to express his gratitude. Living in perpetual fear had been exhausting. And now, in one more days, even if the fearful nights were not yet behind him, he took solace in the thought of travelling with others again.

That night no one save Kiya slept as they prepared.


	8. Wolves And Tyrants

Far from the icy cold of the north, Hataoka surveyed her surroundings. She stood in a field of tall grass that stretched on as far as she could see beneath a sky more blue than any sky she'd ever seen. The smell of greenery and earth was odd at this time of year, though she realized as she closed her eyes and filled her lungs with spring-smelling air that such rules didn't apply here.

She was, after all, standing in the spirit world.

When she opened her eyes she wasn't surprised to see that the landscape had changed somewhat. Now mountains could be seen in the distance, and to her right a great river had formed. The landmarks made her feel safer, gave her a sense of direction. She beamed her gratefulness to the spirit world with her thoughts and touched her loosely balled fists together in reverence. She never ended up in the same place when she visited the spirit world but somehow she was never allowed to feel lost. As the wind picked up and sent her long black hair into a playful dance she marvelled as she watched the ground beneath her shift and mould itself into a clear, well-travelled path.

"You're too kind," she said to no one in particular, hoping her words would reach whichever powerful spirit, or spirits, were guiding her this day.

As Hataoka took her first steps down the path she heard a rustle to her side. Turning on her heel, she was just in time to meet the pounce of her 200 pound friend, Nahani, a black spirit wolf. Nahani easily brought Hataoka to the ground and covered the teacher in licks of affection as she kicked and mock resisted.

"Hello, old friend," said Hataoka from beneath the massive black wolf. Nahani panted happily, content to lay there a long while and forcing the prone instructor to shuffle her way out from beneath him. The two shared a close bond, close enough that their thoughts and emotions seemed to reach each other without the need for words. Hataoka felt Nahani's excitement, and Nahani felt Hataoka's heavy heart and sincere gratitude. They played for a short while.

Later, the teacher walked gingerly along the path, feeling quite safe with her spirit companion at her side. What a remarkable place, she thought to herself. With the northern and southern portals closed the vast majority of visitors to the spirit world were either from the portal in Republic City or, more worrying, wayward spirit travellers under the tyrant avatar's direct command. Some, like Hataoka, had such strong connections to the spirit world that they could still enter -- with some effort -- even without places of power to amplify their efforts. And yet, despite the fact that Bao's underlings were likely great in number in the spirit world, the spirits had always elected to keep her safely out of their detection somehow. She knew that many spirits had grown accustomed to harmonic convergence, like her dear Nahani, won over by Avatar Korra's philosophies, and she could only guess that the spirit world itself was aiding the resistance against Bao.

Hataoka's journey along the winding path was safe but far from uneventful. With Nahani trotting along at her side, and sometimes bounding in the tall grass after small spirited animals, every moment spent in the spirit world was a remarkable one as it moved and shaped itself according to the feelings of those who walked within its borders. Great clouds of small flying spirits erupted from the fields around Hataoka, their winding and pulsing paths coalescing to form a greater undulating whole that moved fluidly through the air in uncountable numbers. The flying spirits shifted in colour as they flew, reminding Hataoka of the late northern lights only with blues and yellow and reds mixed into the brilliant greens. The great cacophony of sound as each individual spirit let out its call was deafening, sending thrumming reverberations through Hataoka's chest, though she felt nothing but calm from the overwhelming sound. When the fields gave way to a towering forest, with a canopy so high up that Hataoka could not see the top save for the odd opening that let the sun shine through, she could see spirits walking in the distance all around her with legs higher than the apartment she lived in back in the physical realm. Their heads, too, were too high for her to see clearly, and the gentle giants strode along without paying the teacher or her spirit friend any mind.

After the forest gave way to a desert, Nahani excitedly bolted over a shifting dune, only to return with a procession of bipedal, music-playing spirits in tow. No two spirits looked the same, with one resembling a walking fish with a wide-brimmed hat and another a grasshopper in a trench coat, among many others. Many spirits had become enamoured with human clothing after harmonic convergence and such a sight was not uncommon. Still, the stoic teacher couldn't help but smile wide as the procession moved along beside her. They waved hello to Hataoka and pranced with Nahani whenever he darted by, crossed the teacher's path, and disappeared over another dune.

Despite the upheaval of the closing of the northern and southern portals, the spirits seemed to carry on without a fuss. Some had bonded to people in the physical realm and were torn away, unable to reunite, when the portals were sealed. Poor Nahani was unable to materialize on the physical plane after the northern portal was closed and had to wait for Hataoka's brief visits to rekindle their connection. But often Hataoka saw spirits she had known to have bonded with humans who had moved on, letting their feelings of loss and pain flow with the river of time. It amazed the teacher how quickly some spirits could move on with their timeless lives, like great gurus who let thoughts come and go, thankful to ever have them in the first place but not dwelling on them or letting them fester.

And some spirits elected not to forget, not to forgive, she remembered grimly.

Hataoka and Nahani rounded a bend in a great canyon and finally came upon their destination. On the canyon floor sat a grand table, and at the table sat several others, humans and spirits alike, already deep in planning and negotiations. The instructor approached the table, folded one hand over her fist in front of her chest, and bowed low.

"How was your journey?" asked a man in brown robes and a fine triangle-shaped hat. "A long one, it would seem."

"Refreshing," replied Hataoka as she stepped toward the table, not surprised to see a chair that wasn't there a moment before. "I missed this one," she said as she scruffed Nahani's furry face with both hands. The spirit wolf panted happily. "And? How are you, Fuma?"

The robed man smiled. "Well enough, well enough," he said with a chuckle. "Bei falls further and further under Bao's clutches by the day, though we don't let it happen easily." Bei, one of the northernmost provinces of the Earth Republic, was the resistance's closest contact point to the greater movement against Bao. Much of their information and supplies came from contacts there.

"It will get worse," said the woman next to him. Song, a fellow Earth resistance fighter in Bei, couldn't help but sigh dejectedly. "More special forces arrive all the time. We can barely move." The towering, wide-shouldered woman looked somewhat comical in the comparably small chair.

Hataoka looked down the length of table. "How fares the spirits?" she asked.

"Oh, quite well," replied the monkey spirit in attendance, a funny creature that wore large blue beads around their neck and spoke excitedly with their hands. "We keep the tyrant's spies busy. It's fun!" Spirits did not offer up names lightly, and even this one, who'd helped the resistance since the beginning, had yet to divulge theirs. Names carried great power in the spirit world and were not easily trusted to others.

"Bao is pushing hard to sway the Fire Nation," added the final human in attendance, a grim-looking young woman with angular ceremonial armour and a golden hairpiece adorning her top-knotted brown hair. "We will not comply," she added firmly. Mili was their representative from the Fire Nation, an important coordinator in the resistance against Bao's power grabs.

Hataoka looked further down the table, unable to restrain her smile as she realized all others in attendance were spirits who were not part of their meeting but had sat down to talk among themselves, unconcerned with human politics and paying them no mind at all. So care-free, she thought enviously.

"Kri has gone to the final portal," said the monkey spirit absently as they poured a cup of tea. Apparently tea had appeared while Hataoka was not looking. "And he is not alone."

The meeting came to an awkward halt for a moment as the humans considered the news. Nahani's ears swivelled back and he laid down with a whine at the mention of the name. Kri, a great wolf spirit of immense power, was a valuable but unpredictable ally. He rarely attended meetings and often ran his own operations of interference against Bao. To Hataoka's great fear, the great wolf seemed all-too eager to participate in the resistance's activities, often going out of his way to include himself in plans that did not involve him. He was a proud spirit, proud enough to give his name to the small group without hesitation with all confidence that it could not be used against him, and had some history with Bao that he would not reveal.

Something about a betrayal.

"What does he mean to do?" asked Song, clearly disturbed.

"Mount a defence?" offered Fuma with a shrug.

"More like an attack," fumed Mili. "He'll make things worse!"

"The Air nomads would surely interject," reasoned Fuma. "The spirits respect their word."

"Would Kri?" asked Song incredulously.

Hataoka listened quietly. As the newest representative, she felt compelled to wait until after the discussion at hand before she brought the concerns of Pala Qel'a's resistance to the meeting's attention. But as she considered the news of Kri's move to the portal she couldn't help but interject. "What of Bao? Is he really going to Republic City?"

"Yes, we confirmed it," said Fuma as he examined the tea. "It's not an official visit, they don't like him much." He swished the cup, frowning as he spotted grass swirling in the liquid. "They're keeping it hush-hush."

"On what grounds?" asked Mili. Fuma could only shrug in response.

"So Bao will be in Republic City at same time that Kri will be at the spirit portal," said Hataoka in a leading tone.

The meeting turned to the teacher in unison as the obvious implications washed over them. Even the guest spirits, who had nothing to do with the meeting, offered their looks of exaggerated surprise (though Hataoka was sure most didn't even know what was happening and only took an opportunity to join in with their funny faces). But the thought among those who joined the meeting was clear: Bao, the betrayer of the spirit world, was heading to the exact place where Kri, a powerful spirit with others in tow and a grudge against the tyrant avatar, was going. The monkey spirit, frozen in mid-sip of the grass-flavoured tea, sputtered for a little too long.

Hours later, with the ground beneath the meeting table shifting from the trough of a canyon to the heights of a mountain, the humans in attendance stood, bowed, and willed themselves back to the physical realm. Hataoka lingered a short while, kneeling down beside Nahani, petting and admiring his otherworldly coat, before hugging him close. Nahani looked at her reverently and sat proudly before the teacher, the pair saying nothing but communicating much with their thoughts. The teacher bowed low and, hesitantly, faded from the spirit realm.

Hataoka opened her eyes and looked around. She sat in a dimly lit room on an musk-ox bear's skin, the sound and smell of a fire crackling behind her. Night had come and only the fire and a small lamp offered any light in the thick darkness. When she stirred Rhea, one of the elders in attendance of the meeting earlier that day, and the owner of the home in which Hataoka sat, lifted her head from her bead work as she sat comfortably in a large, plush chair.

"And?" asked Rhea, her hands not stopping their work.

"A battle is coming to Republic City," reported Hataoka grimly. "We've been asked to help."


	9. Reprimand

Avatar Bao tossed and turned in his sleep. His darkened bedroom, mostly devoid of decor and furniture, did little to break up the long, threatening shadows that pierced the gloomy night from the towering buildings outside. Bao rolled to this side, his brows pressed down tightly on his unwaking eyes as he tumbled down the world of dreams to another realm altogether, the hidden realm of the former avatars.

Except in this era, only one avatar would be found here.

Bao tumbled into the dream, a whirling, smoky void with no obvious light source yet bathed in a hazy blue glow. He would have gone head over heels had his decades of training not saved him, something that appeared useful even on other planes of existence. He tumbled to his feet and set himself in a wide stance until realizing where he was. He soured immediately, turning to the side and cursing under his breath. She had pulled him here yet again.

"Oh, did I disturb you?" boomed a woman's voice, youthful and dripping with venom. Bao turned and glared at the only avatar to populate this realm, Avatar Korra.

The form an avatar took in this place was not set in stone, but Bao had read in centuries old texts that often they appeared as they did at the moment they made their most affecting decisions. According to the texts, Avatar Roku looked as he did upon his death, an old man, when he was betrayed by Fire Lord Sozin; Avatar Aang appeared as he did when he had finally passed on his air bender blood line in the great master Tenzin; Avatar Korra looked as she did when she opened the spirit portal in Republic City, changing the world for all time. Or so it had seemed, until Bao had begun to correct her mistakes. Her barely shoulder length brown hair fluttered in a wind Bao could not feel and her piercing blue eyes cut into him like daggers.

He was not afraid, he was not afraid.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked as evenly as he could. He wrapped his hand around his fist and bowed low, illiciting a prolonged sigh from the former avatar.

"I have some wisdom to offer," she replied, cocking to one side and crossing her arms. "Do you know what it is?"

It was Bao's turn to sigh. He knew of what wisdom she offered, she gave it to him often.

"I do," he said honestly. "And I still politely disagree."

"Disagree?" Korra echoed sarcastically. "Is that what you call what you're doing? A bit of disagreement?"

Bao looked away, disinterested. Korra's presence was as mighty as she was in life, he didn't doubt. But she was so quick to anger that any intimidation he felt often melted away. She seemed impetuous at times, downright immature.

"Forced disappearances? Refugee camps? Breaking up entire new cultures?" she pressed.

"Impure cultures," Bao corrected. "A mistake I am loathe to correct but," he gestured around him, "someone had to throw the world into chaos."

"The world I left was not chaotic, it was beautiful and new," Korra shouted. "Unlike anything the world had seen since Avatar Wan!"

"Avatar Wan sealed the portals for a reason," Bao replied. He crossed his arms, tiring of this game. "Is our meeting adjourned? I have much to do."

The void quivered, then rumbled, knocking Bao off-balance. He swung his arms outward as he tried to find his footing and watched in awe as Korra grew in size before him, here eyes glowing a piercing blue unlike any in existence. Spirit energy coiled and whirled around her gigantic form, encircling him as well. He had nowhere to go. She knelt down, looming over his comparatively tiny form, and stabbed a giant accusing finger at him.

"You are ruining lives, families, entire cities," she shouted, her voice rolling over him like a tidal wave. He collapsed backward and it was all he could to keep himself upright under her incredible power. "This is not balance, it's a crime against life itself. It's cultural genocide!" She balled her pointing finger into a fist and smashed it down next to him, bouncing Bao violently into the air. He landed with a thud, his training unable to aid him in the face of what felt like a terrible god.

"The people will not forget," she continued, the sky itself seeming to close in around him. "The spirits will not forget."

Bao tried to shout but the whirling spectral winds and reverberations of Korra's voice made it impossible for him to even hear his own voice. He scrambled and tried to escape but the coiling energy around him kept him in place.

"I will not forget," she said grimly, the words pounding his rib cage. The space around them suddenly burst with brilliant, blinding white light. Bao raised a hand before his eyes, trying to shield them.

And suddenly he was awake.

He was sitting up, he realized, and covered in a cold sweat. The door to his bedroom was wide open and two of his honour guard were in mid-stride as they raced to his bedside. One checked the open window and the other cleared the near-empty room, even checking under his bed, much to his embarrassment.

"Avatar Bao," said the guard at the window, her eyes darting around the room. "We heard shouting."

"Nothing here," said the other. He sounded genuinely relieved, which helped slow Bao's racing heartbeat.

"A bad dream," he offered quietly. He cleared his throat and touched his brow. It was as if he'd just stepped out of a bath. "A terrible dream," he said honestly.

The guards looked at one another then shot straight to attention.

"Thank you for checking on me," he said a little louder, gaining confidence now that he was awake and had two true believers standing before him. "I'm glad to see that I'm in such capable hands."

The guards relaxed but seemed unsure of what to do with the compliment. After an uncomfortable pause, Bao placed his hand on his chest and smiled. "I'm fine now. You may go back to your posts."

The guard exchanged looks once again, one nodding to the other, and both bowed low before turning on their heels and heading for the door. Bao, thoroughly embarrassed and exhausted, moved into a cross-legged position, straightened his back, and concentrated on his breathing. He set his mind on the now and, after what felt like a long while, let the last few minutes fall away. He focused his more immediate problems to get him away from that feeling of dread he'd just escaped, thought of what he needed to tend to in the morning.

The air nomads had intervened when word had spread of Bao's imminent visit to Republic City, successfully convincing President Jian to postpone his visit and putting him weeks behind schedule. Wanting to maintain an outwardly peaceful agenda, Bao had respected Jian's offer to reschedule the visit. Annoyingly, though, Jian had also changed the meeting place, far away from the spirit portal.

Not that it mattered. Raolo, his great mentor and most trusted follower, would find a way, he knew.

A breeze blew forcefully through the window and, as it was carried by the wind itself, Korra's voice echoed through his fitful mind despite his careful mediation. She had promised that she would not forget, and it took all of Bao's courage to remind himself that she was powerless over him as long as he lived. And he had to believe that she would be powerless in the afterlife as well, after his great work was done.

He mediated until the sun was threatening to rise over the mountains, finally falling into an uneasy and uncertain sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much for taking the time to read my work. This is the first of what I hope to be many chapters in a sprawling story set in a post-Korra world with original characters (and one or two familiar faces). I hope you find this prologue sufficiently intriguing to continue reading as I update.
> 
> I intend to update regularly, perhaps weekly. But even though I have the broad strokes for the series planned I may need more time here and there to suss things out since I know the organic process of writing can reveal things you didn't anticipate. I hope to earn your patience.
> 
> This is, for all intents and purposes, my first real attempt at fan fiction and so I may not have everything in proper working order. Things like tagging are quite new to me and I've done my best to tag what this series will be without revealing too much about where it will go (my current plan is to add more specifics tags as plot points reveal themselves). If you have guidance or suggestions for a new AO3 resident then please feel free to comment or message me with helpful tips or general advice. I am in your care.
> 
> Thank you again for your time.


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